


i promise

by BlueFlameBird



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Incest if you squint, M/M, Mentions of Character Death, based on a thing, its vergil, mostly brotherly bonding, project x zone 2 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 19:28:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10472409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFlameBird/pseuds/BlueFlameBird
Summary: based on dante and vergils first two encounters with nelo angelo in pxz2. dante meets seven-years-ago vergil. the twins meet nelo. vergil puts the pieces together.





	

**Author's Note:**

> yay angst. 
> 
> if you cant tell i had dmc feels. damn you vergil. 
> 
> vertigo is the best person ever and she deserves all the love for helping me english. and for listening to my rambles. and for dealing with me. i love her <3

Ever since that fight with Nelo Angelo, Vergil has been spacy.

Dante knew him well, they were twins after all. The others figured it was just part of his personality, but Dante knew better.

Despite the mutual distaste they had for each other, they were still close. Years of growing up and training together before the ‘incident’ that cost them the life of their mother were still precious to them both. Which means there wasn’t a person on this Earth who knew Vergil like Dante did.

Vergil was always perceptive, even more so than Dante, and as much as he acted, Dante was no idiot. Vergil, if he wanted to be nice to his twin and give credit when it was due, was a genius. Annoyingly arrogant and an asshole, but a genius.

And if Dante was speculating, that means Vergil was too.

They both knew Nelo Angelo had some sort of connection to their father, Sparda. His energy was way too familiar, too similar to Sparda’s for someone who wasn’t one of his sons, and even his fighting style rang a few bells. Since they were separated during their encounter with the Temen-ni-gru, Dante did his own thing for a few years until Trish came to him for help taking down Mundus. Dante wasn’t going to pass up a chance for revenge on the man who killed his mother and separated him from his brother. And since he had to go to the underworld anyway, it was a good chance to see if his brother was really dead. Since then he’s been sensing an energy like Vergil’s, opening the wound he thought long closed.

Ever since their battle when Vergil fell into the demon world, Dante honestly thought he lost him too. He was no longer able to sense his other half, and that often left him feeling alone, more alone than when they were separated after their mother died. He kept expecting Vergil to pop up out of nowhere like he did in the past, challenging him to fights where Vergil would usually come out on top. He expected him to show up, question his morals and his humanity and compare them to Vergil’s own before impaling him with Rebellion, or Yamato, or both.

And this this happens, Vergil comes from the past. Looking exactly the same. Dante knew they were twins, but the few years that Dante had seemed to show. He knew from the way Vergil’s eyebrow rose as he looked Dante up and down, his gaze calculating and curious, that he must have looked different. Dante knew he matured a bit, losing your family twice does that to a person. He was still with his devil-may-care attitude, but it usually hid the gnawing and restless feeling in his chest. The feeling of anger, of hopelessness. Of loneliness.

Sure, Dante could always confide in Lady, but Lady would never truly understand the unbreakable bond he had with his twin. Whether they were fighting with or against each other, they were together, and that was enough to give Dante a sense of purpose, to keep fighting the very monsters who took his mother away from them.

This Vergil, however, didn’t know anything that would happen to him. He didn’t know he would fall into the demon world, he didn’t know Arkham would abuse his thirst for power, power he lacked when their mother was attacked by demons, and manipulate him.

If Vergil thought Dante didn’t know his quest from power stemmed from his own quest or vengeance on all demons, he had another thing coming.

Vergil was normally introverted and stoic, but there was a nervous, almost reluctant and accepting energy coming off of Vergil after their latest encounter with Nelo Angelo.

He was piecing it together.

From Dante’s “long time no see” slip up, to the fact Nelo felt too familiar for comfort.

_He could be one of us._

Vergil knew. They both knew. But neither of them seemed to want to say it out loud. It was making this bittersweet reunion hurt more than words could express.

The question on his mind was; who was it? Who did this to Vergil? And where would Dante find the one responsible and give him a well-deserved bullet between the eyes?

Asshole or not, no one would harm his brother and live to tell the tale.

“Dante.”

Dante was snapped out of his musings by his brother’s voice, turning to Vergil. The group they found themselves with were discussing ways to get out of the underworld, giving them a moment to talk without being noticed.

“What is it, bro?” Dante asked, smirking his normal, cocky smirk as Vergil’s eyes flickered in annoyance at the nickname. The expression was fleeting, leaving almost as soon as it came, but benefits of being Vergil’s twin was being able to read him as easily as he could read himself.

They had the same face, after all.

“That demon, you can agree he has the power of our father, Sparda, correct?”

Ah, so they were going to talk about it?

“Yep.” Dante said, popping the p. “You feel it too, don’t you? You wanted that power between the two of us, after all.”

Vergil let the hidden insult slide, even though Dante knew he picked it out easily. _You put me through hell for that, Vergil._

“Yes. But it seems I’m from the time right before I could see if my plans came to fruition or not.”

Dante tried to smirk cockily at that, but just like he could read Vergil, the blue twin could read him just as well.

Vergil eyed him with that unflinching gaze, an emotion behind them that Dante had trouble reading, too many things going by at once, before he tore his gaze away, turning away fully. There was a tense silence between them before Vergil tilted his head.

“What happens to me, brother?”

Dante swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry. Maybe…maybe if he told him something could change? Maybe Vergil would see the error of his ways and stop before it is too late?

But the truth was, all this was simple speculation. Dante would bet his soul that Nelo Angelo was his brother, but how this came to be, why, or who was responsible? He didn’t know. Not yet. But once everything was fixed here, he would find out.

Vergil must have taken his silence for refusal to talk, because in one fluid movement, his twin span on his heel, Yamato out of its sheath and pressing up against his neck, a hair away from breaking skin.

“Talk, Dante!”

Dante swallows again, resisting the urge to shiver at the icy glare his twin was giving him. But Dante knew he wouldn’t. No, his anger now wasn’t at his twin, or at his deep rooted need for power, it was at himself, at his own failure, what would become of his future.

“What exactly was the last thing you did, Vergil?” Dante asked softly, ignoring the fact everyone seemed to stop, looking over at the two brothers with emotions ranging from curiosity, to tense uncertainty, to amusement.

Yamato loosened off of his neck, just slightly. Dante recognized it as Vergil being pleased with his complicity. Dante would have smirked if he didn’t risk impalement; of course he knew how to be serious. It added to his dramatic nature.

“We battled for the amulets and I defeated you.” Was all Vergil said, his eyes dropping to where Dante’s amulet rested. “I then left you to find your way in the tower as I went to try and undo father’s spell. Then I was dragged here.”

Dante remembered that. It wasn’t that long ago, seven years.

Dante took a breath before his lips lifted into a smirk, though from his brother’s raised eyebrow it was more of a grimace than anything.

“After that I went after you into the tower. Arkham was manipulating you, _is_ manipulating you. He wants to take Sparda’s power for himself.”

“Like I would ever let that happen.” Vergil cut in smoothly. “That power belongs to a son of Sparda, and since you don’t seem to want it, I will take it.”

After a pause Dante continued, “Well, he managed to swindle his way into getting it. He opened the portal to the demon realm and we defeated him, together. And afterwards…we fought over Dad’s sword and the amulets. I won.”

Vergil snorted, his lips lifting into a smirk. “You mean to say you finally managed to beat me?”

It was Dante’s turn to smirk. “Yeah. I was pretty badass, you know.”

After a shared chuckle, Vergil grew serious again, pulling Yamato away from Dante’s neck and sheathing it. He turned away again. “Then what?”

“Then you fell.”

Vergil turned to him again for clarification, but Dante just sighed. “Literally. You fell into the demon world. I tried to grab you, but your stubborn ass cut my hand and stopped me from helping you. It’s been years since then. I haven’t heard from you in all that time. I thought you were dead, you _are_ dead.”

Vergil was silent for a long time. When he spoke, it was so soft Dante almost didn’t catch it.

“You think I’m dead, Dante?”

“I couldn’t sense you. Hell, Verge, it’s been seven years!”

“When we were separated at 8 years old, you thought I was dead too. I thought you were dead as well.” Vergil cut in sharply. “I can’t be.”

“Then what then Vergil? What do you think happened to you that you won’t come back to me after all this time? Do you really hate me that much? After what happened with mom I figured you would have wanted to stick together!”

“I don’t hate you, Dante!” Vergil snapped. His twin rarely raised his voice, and Dante froze as the older twin took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair before collecting his composure and continuing. “You may be an annoyance, and an idiot. But I don’t hate you, I could never hate you, you’re my brother.”

“Then why? Why won’t you come back?!” Dante hated how thick his voice sounded from emotion. Vergil’s face revealed nothing, but his eyes were hard, the normally bright blues dark with a storm of emotions he would never show.

“Think about it, brother. I fell into the underworld, ruled by a demon as powerful as our father. We’ve been attacked by a demon who resembles an energy like that of our own. What do you think happened?!”

Dante flinched. He knew, he knew but to have his brother say it with such conviction, such certainty. With such complicity it hurt Dante deep in his heart.

“You wouldn’t let that happen. You’re too stubborn to listen to your own blood, your own twin. Why would some random demon be able to control you, huh? Brainwashed or whatever, you wouldn’t go down that easily!”

“Silence, you imbecile!” That was twice he’s managed to make Vergil lose his composure. Dante knew, it hurt Vergil to know he was once again too weak as much as it hurt Dante that he lost him, for good as far as he knew.

When Vergil spoke again, there was a strain in his voice to remain controlled. “I don’t know how, or why. But I now know what is in store for me. There’s nothing I can do to change it. If I become a demon in my quest for power, then so be it.”

Vergil turned with a flourish, the tails of his blue coat whipping as he walked away from Dante, his grip on Yamato tight.

Dante felt the all too familiar anger boil in him, which Vergil was always adept at bringing out of him. “VERGIL! WAIT! Don’t walk away from me, you asshole! You know as well as I do that this can be avoided!”

“Dante.”

Dante stopped cold. Vergil stopped walking but he was still facing away from him, back tense, hand white knuckled around Yamato’s saya.

“Promise me, brother. That you will take down the man who did this to me, and who killed our mother. That you will set my soul free. Promise me you will do this.”

Dante sighed, feeling his eyes sting as tears threatened to spill. No, he was so close he couldn’t lose the most important person to him. And besides, devils never cried.

“We can take him down together, Verge.”

“You know why I can’t stop, Dante. I was too weak to protect mother, I will not be too weak to protect you, even if I have to give up my humanity, even if you hate me for it. I will gain more power.”

Both were silent, quietly challenging and begging the other brother to give up and agree. Finally, all fight seemed to have left Vergil, as he sighed tiredly. “Promise me, Dante.”

Dante nodded, giving a tired sigh as well before he spoke, willing his voice not to crack. “I promise, Verge.”

Vergil turned then, just a slight angle of his head, to flash Dante a small smile, before walking away. Dante stood frozen, because he was sure for just a moment, there were tears in his brother’s eyes. But that couldn’t be, devils didn’t cry, and neither did his brother, who embraced his demonic heritage. He was the human-like twin, after all.

“Call me when you figure out how we will move forward. Do not bother me until then.”

It was like a switch was flipped and his brother was back to being an asshole, and while Dante’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance, he found himself smirking. “Will do, bro.”

After an uncomfortable silence that Dante pointedly ignored, the red twin turned with a dramatic spin, cocky smirk in place as he sauntered up to the group.

“So, what now?”

They looked among themselves before Leon spoke. Dante liked Leon, he had great taste in hair style. “We planned our next move already. Should we give you and Vergil a second or…?”

“My older bro is pretty shy. Just give him a minute. So, what’s the plan?”

Sure enough, Vergil was walking back, glaring at anyone who looked like they wanted to ask questions. Instead he simply slipped his hand into Dante’s and squeezed, before letting go, subtle and quick but with clear meaning. Dante grinned, for real this time. He could worry about Nelo Angelo later. But for now, he had Vergil next to him, and that was enough for the moment.

 


End file.
